Bat-wielding man subdued in Kingsport

The blotter is derived from recent incident reports and central dispatch records of local police agencies.

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office

Jan. 3

— A North Carolina man arrived at the jail lobby in Blountville, "yelling and screaming ... making no sense." After refusing to answer questions from officers — but issuing statements like, "When you kill me, I'll sue you" — he threw himself on the ground. Ultimately, he was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Kingsport Police Department

Jan. 6

— "During the confusion" of a late-night fire at Westside Inn, a guest staying in another room requested a refund. According to the manager, money was returned and the renter departed, taking a flatscreen TV that had been mounted to the wall. The fire remains under investigation.

— In response to a domestic disturbance on Cooks Valley Road, an officer found the female victim fleeing the home on foot. She stated her boyfriend had previously assaulted her and bound her with plastic zip ties, holding her against her will for about two hours. She had injuries to support the account, while the suspect was interviewed at a nearby apartment. He claimed he had used the restraints to "keep her from jumping bail," then changed his story to say he was worried about her harming other individuals at the residence. Due to statements from witnesses and physical evidence, he was arrested for false imprisonment and assault.

Jan. 6

— Shortly after 2 p.m., police were alerted to a man walking down Center Street while yelling and "swinging a bat." The "agitated" suspect was found on East Sevier Avenue and being followed by a car with a broken taillight. According to the driver, the unknown man had walked by their parked vehicle and caused the damage with his wooden bat. When officers approached the suspect, he swung the weapon in their direction and advised them to back up, but police threats to release a K-9 prompted him to give himself up without further incident. He was arrested for aggravated assault and vandalism. Police records contain no possible motive for his actions.

Jan. 7

— A patrol officer spotted several people arguing outside a Berry Street home. As the officer approached, a pickup with a man in the bed fled the scene, heading onto Eastman Road and then through several alleys. When it stopped on C Street, the man in the back said that he and the driver — his girlfriend — had been arguing. She reportedly hopped in his pickup that was in his garage, backed up and used the bumper to pin him against a wall. As she drove through the closed garage door to escape, he jumped in the back of his truck. Injuries and evidence at the home supported his account and she was arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, evading arrest and DUI.